CHR wins major Lake District hotel outfit

Commercial catering scheme designer and supplier, CHR Equipment, has been chosen to carry out a sustainable kitchen project centred around its Eco-Chef GB concept, to serve a fine dining restaurant at the Forest Side Hotel in the Lake District.

Forest Side in Grasmere has been purchased by Andrew Wildsmith, who also runs The Ryebeck in Bowness and Hipping Hall in Kirkby Lonsdale as a luxury boutique hotel with a fine dining facility.

Wildsmith aims to make the restaurant one of the best in the country and is spending a total of £4.5m renovating the 21 bedroom premises.

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Scott Walker, sales manager for CHR, reported: “We discussed head chef Kevin Tickle’s requirements at length and listened to what he wanted. At the centre of the installation is our own environmentally friendly Eco-Chef GB cooking block designed to deliver efficiencies in both running costs and operation.

“This particular Eco-Chef, with its own inbuilt energy monitoring system, utilises energy saving induction tops and planchas, as well as a rise and fall halogen salamander and holding oven. Also in the installation are energy efficient combination ovens, hydro-carbon refrigerated drawers and a pressurised bratt pan.

“Not only does the equipment have to excel in operation, it also has to look good as there will be a visual link between the kitchen and dining area.”

Walker added that in keeping with the sustainable brief, CHR will be ensuring that as much of the equipment and labour as possible is sourced locally from within a 100 mile radius of Grasmere.

CHR has also completed or is involved with other projects in the Lakes, including: Simon Rogan’s l’Enclume in Cartmel; The Drunken Duck, Ambleside; The Castle Dairy, Kendal and The Old Stamphouse, Ambleside.